Hoe.



SIMON W. SI-IANKS, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

HOE

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed. October 15, 1907. Serial No. 397,557.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON W. SIIANKS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and Stateof Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hoes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to hoes, and it has for its object to simplifyand improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsessentially in a hoe blade of. peculiar and improved construction,the-same being provided with inclined or obliquely disposed cuttingedges which are provided with teeth or serrations for the purpose offacilitating the operation and increasing the efficiency of the hoe.

The invention further consists in the improved construction andarrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been shown several simple andpreferred forms of the invention, it being, however, understood, that nolimitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details thereinexhibited, but that further changes, alterations and modificationswithin the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing,Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferredform of the im proved hoe. Fig. 2 is an end view showing, in elevation,a hoe blade of a slightly modified construction. Fig. 3 is a sectionaldetail view taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 in. Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denotedby like charactersof reference.

The blade A of the improved hoe is pro vided with downwardly converginginclined or obliquely disposed straight side edges 1, 1, the lowerextremities of which are separated or spaced apart by the bottom edge 2,which latter is of a length not exceeding a few inches. The edges 1 and2 of the hoe blade are provided with notches or serrations, designatedrespectively 3, 4., serving to form suitably spaced teeth or cuttingmembers which are designated respectively 5, 6; the teeth 5 at the sideedges of the hoe blade being provided with inclined or obliquelydisposed cutting edges, which, however, are in true longitudinalalinementwhile the edges of the teeth 6 are level or horizontallydisposed when the'hoe blade is not in active operation.

Under the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thenotches or serrations 3 and 4 are approximately of inverted U- shape; inFig. 2 of the drawings the notches or serrations, which are heredesignated 3 and 4 respectively, are of inverted V-shape, and the shapeof the teeth or cutting members will obviously be correspondinglymodified. In either case the cutting edges of the teeth are beveled andsuitably sharpened, as indicated at 7, so as to be thoroughly effectivein operation; the teeth or cutting members may be maintained. in goodcondition for operation by the use of an ordinary file, or, ifpreferred, by grinding upon a stone or emery wheel, and the serrationsor interspaces between the teeth may likewise be maintained in propercondition by the use of an ordinary file, a round, half round, ortriangular file being employed, as may be needed and required.

The hoe which is ordinarily used for weeding and other similar purposes,is provided, as is well known, with a single straight cutting edge forcutting the roots of plants, especially when tough and fibrous roots areencountered, it is by no means efficient, and the use thereof frequentlyinvolves fatiguing labor, while the tool itself is frequently injured byordinary work. The improved hoe of the present invention is providedwith straight-edge teeth which will readily engage and enter the soil,while the toothed side edges will be found extremely efficient forsevering roots that may be encountered in the soil.

It will be observed that the teeth at the several edges of the hoe bladehave alined cutting edges; this is extremely important for the reasonthat the entrance of the blade into the soil is thereby facilitated, theside edges of the blade especially being arranged to work with a cuttingand shearing action which greatly facilitates the operation andefficiency of the device.

The improved hoe will thus be found thoroughly useful and eliicient forthe purposes for which it is provided.

The improved hoe blade is obviously to be mounted in the usual manner,upon a handle, as shown at 8 in Fig. 1 of the drawings; the

. blade may also be manipulated by this han- 1 loose soil.

dle to drag it along the ground adjacent to a row of growing plants, andit may be permitted to enter the ground for any desired depth, so thatthe soil loosened thereby will be thrown in the direction of the rootsof the plants, which will thus be covered with fresh When used in thismanner the device will constitute a very useful and efficient handcultivator, whereby the vigorous

